Abstract

ALVES, Cândida et al. Adolescence and penal majority: reflections from the psychology and of the right. Rev. psicol. polít. [online]. 2009, vol.9, n.17, pp.67-83. ISSN 2175-1390.

The increase of violence frightens Brazilian society, who demands measures from the State to end up with its insecurity. This discussion has been directed at children and adolescents who are authors of criminal infringements, rekindling the polemics around the reduction of full legal age. The main arguments favorably to the reduction are referred to the adolescents’ conscience about their acts and the necessity of holding the responsibility on them. The ones who are against claim that the condition of penal non-imputability doesn't mean impunity and ECA is a pioneer in respect to the rights of the infant and the adolescent defended by ONU. To sum up with, one has to seek the reformulation of the internment system in order to allow the whole mechanism of socio-educational measures contained in ECA. These must be taken with the objective of recognizing the rights that are inherent to the person, assuring opportunities to the adolescents who commit infractions and conferring them the faculty for their physical, mental, moral and social development in condition of freedom and dignity.

Keywords : Adolescence; Reduction of full age; Psychology; Law; Moral.

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